Poisoned Arrow
by 8belles
Summary: Introducing Poison Ivy from DC Comics ( I don't own them!) - what if Oliver was poisoned by something his Yao Fai "magic herbs" couldn't cure? How will Felicity, Laurel, Tommy and Dig keep him alive? I am writing this after work, so please be patient with updates.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:** I am not a comic book reader, but as a consummate nerd and geek, I know about/heard about almost every character there is in the "major" comic world. In this story I'd like to introduce Poison Ivy ( Dr. Pamela Isley) who is a DC Batman-verse character. I am melding several of her background stories to fit the Arrow-verse. I am also stretching the bounds of science a bit to fit some fiction. I do not own any of the DC characters.

**Poisoned Arrow**

He memorized the book before his mother had thrown it in the fire. Those names were burned in his memory forever though the rest lay in ashes. How badly he had wanted to leap into the flames and grab the journal, not because it had the names in it, but because it was the last thing besides his life, that his father had given to him.

" Dig, I'm going on sortie." The voice behind the hood said in that low, deadly tone.

" When should I call the Missing Persons office on you? "John replied casually, not even bothering to look up from his computer screens.

" Hedera Chemicals shouldn't take too long. I'm only looking for one thing." Oliver answered; fingering his straps and buckles one last time before heading out.

" Dr. Isley?" John queried.

" Going to do some weed whacking." Arrow replied and jogged up the stairs into the night.

It was a weeknight and the Glades were quiet and deserted except for the furtive glances of prostitutes and the occasional low-level drug dealer. Arrow moved like a wraith across mostly rooftops, only coming down when he knew a roof was unsecure. He loved the chase; the power of movement gave him release and set his mind at ease. All those horrible lessons learned on the island finally came to fruition of his father's plan.

Hedera Chemicals was a large warehouse and chemical factory holding various types of agricultural chemicals. Dr. Isley had made the list when she began to let toxic herbicides, fungicides and pesticides leak into drinking water sources that mainly supplied the Glades. Stories of birth defects, cancers and increases in autoimmune diseases appeared in the back pages of the paper, but no one seemed to care. In return, Hedera was making double digit profits in farm yields and patents on genetically modified plants dovetailed to proprietary Hedera products.

The reactors were decked out with lights making the chemical refinery side twinkle like Christmas. Steam flowed from several pipes casting an almost angelic scene with the backlights. Arrow avoided those areas and instead slunk past the outer walls of the oldest warehouses. He slid through a slightly ajar door and into the building neatly stepping between hoses connecting huge vats of viscous looking liquids.

Climbing up an access ladder, he perched precariously on the edge of a tank. The fumes were almost overpowering and he grabbed the rim to steady himself. Pulling out his camera arrow, he looked for a good angle to fire it. Information is always a good thing and pulling the string he let the surveillance camera arrow fly. It scored with a sold **thunk** into an I-beam high above the warehouse floor. Oliver could see where a yellow, shiny looking liquid was slowly trickling its way through a rough concrete channel into a large iron grated drain, probably on it's way to the water supply. His surveillance arrow would be transmitting video of all this right to the police and local environmental officials.

Turning to leap down, he suddenly slipped on the rim, slick from chemicals. Falling, he reached out with one arm for the ladder, snagging it mid flight. Arrow's head slammed against the tank wall and stars danced before his eyes. Still holding on, he shakily climbed the rest of the way down. Once on solid ground he felt his head as a nasty bump began to rise behind his ear on the right side. Oliver noticed his vision wasn't quite right and he felt very dizzy, so much that he clutched the railing of the ladder again. _Dig, I can't call him_, he thought hazily trying to fight a light wave of nausea.

A silky woman's voice called out to him, almost purring, " Oh Mister Hood. What a pleasure to finally meet you!"

Oliver turned towards the place he thought the sound was coming from but couldn't locate it in his stupor. " Show yourself." He said as menacingly as he could. Fumbling for an arrow, he knocked it sloppily.

" My dear. Manners. All in good time." The voice circled around him like a tendril of ivy growing up a wall.

" Dr. Isley?" he queried hating himself for sounding so weak.

" Not exactly.", the voice was right behind him. Whirling to face her, he was no match for her strong arms. She nocked the bow from his grip and pinned her forearm across his throat. Oliver's vision swam as if he was drowning under the ocean and he gasped for breath. Roses, he smelled roses. " Mr. Hood. Looks like you have a bit of a headache. A little salicylic acid from a willow tree would help. Perhaps some yarrow for inflammation.", she whispered to him, " but I'm not here to heal you, and I don't care who you are because you are going to be a dead man soon."

Oliver was beginning to lose consciousness, " Then—get it – over with." he gasped.

" Oh I will dear. I will, ", and Poison Ivy placed a delicate kiss on his lips and suddenly let him go.

Every muscle in his body exploded and he screamed. Writhing in pain on the wet, slimy floor of the warehouse, he thought he was going to tear himself apart. Then, as fast as it happened it was over and he was alone on the cold concrete, his bow and arrow still lying where they were. Wearily, he picked himself up and his equipment and stumbled out into the night air. Moving away from the factory, he called John to pick him up a few blocks away.


	2. Chapter 2

" Man, what happened to you? Looks like you got a shovel across your head!" John asked as he helped Oliver into the car.

" I slipped off a tank and fell." Ollie replied, reclining in the back seat, pushing his hood back. He didn't want to get into Poison Ivy right then.

Diggle's gut kicked in and he pulled a penlight from his coat pocket. Shining it in Oliver's eyes, he watched his pupils contract normally but he noticed a small red irritation around Oliver's cheek. " Did you shave funny this morning?" Dig asked.

" No. Just take me home and you can fuss at me all you like." Queen said irritably and John obeyed. As the car moved, Oliver dozed involuntarily and dreamed of the _Queen's Gambit_.

_Storm tossed, he was scrambling for something to hold on to. Furniture and objects pummeled him and he lost his grip as a giant black hole formed below him and sea and ship were falling into oblivion._

"SARAH!" he screamed, sitting up suddenly, hitting his head on the roof of the car. With a flinch, he recoiled. John looked at him strangely. Oliver felt spent. His body was covered with sweat, maybe from the dream; maybe from whatever Ivy had injected him with when she kissed him. Either way, he felt like hell.

"C'mon. Let me get you cleaned up." Dig said and hoisted the young man from the car, putting his arm around his shoulders. Carefully they descended the stairs to the lair below. Staggering like a drunk, Oliver began to take off his clothes as if he were on fire. His head throbbed like a million hammers were echoing in his skull. Lying down on the cold steel table felt delicious to his aching, burning body.

John looked down at his young charge with worry. These symptoms were not from a concussion only. Oliver writhed in pain and fever as Diggle approached. " Oliver. Look at me."

Oliver gazed vacantly in his direction, his eyes dark pools of pain and fever. "Dig… Ivy… she poisoned me. Something… not sure."

" Let me get those herbs!" Dig said urgently and dove into the old wood box that Oliver had brought home with him from the island. With his huge hands he grabbed a handful, crushed them in a glass bowl and mixed it rapidly with a bottle of water. Brining them back to Oliver, he cradled his head to let him drink.

Expecting the horrible, bitter taste, Queen took the draught but it still required effort to swallow. Laying his head back on the table with a gasp, he waited for the soothing, cooling relief that the strange tea brought. It never came. Suddenly, he sat up, turned and wretched, vomiting up the tea like a monster was tearing out his guts. Between heaves, he tried to breathe. Dig was terrified. Those herbs always worked! " Oliver, we need you to get to a hospital now!"

"No.. .can't. Alibi.", Oliver lay belly down on the table, staring at the floor, arm dangling off. His breathing was labored and his skin glistened with sweat.

"Yes, we can make something up. Bird flu or…. Something. Your hocus pocus didn't work!" John declared and went to get him some street clothes and a bucket of water to help him clean up. Oliver didn't protest again.

Dig cleaned him up as best he could with a pail of water and a towel. Oliver was quasi delirious as he dressed him and pulled him upstairs. John could feel the heat pouring off his body and wondered if he was going to suffer brain damage.

Just as John opened the secret door, Tommy was on the other side. His eyes went wide in surprise as he saw his best friend hanging by Johns' grip like a rag doll. " Holy shit! What's wrong?" he exclaimed grabbing Oliver's other side to help John.

"Poison. But we can't say that. Need to come up with a better story.", Diggle huffed and puffed a bit under the deadening weight of his boss.

"Food poisoning. Flu…. We'll work on it." Tommy said now forgetting why he ventured down to the cave in the first place. He had so many questions to ask Oliver, and now was not the time.

They drove quickly as Diggle could push it, verging on a speeding ticket. The hospital was across town from their current location and Oliver was lying across Tommy's lap, muttering incoherently. Tommy noticed the ashen look of Oliver's face, the waxy texture of his skin and how hollow his cheeks were as if the toxins were eating him alive from the inside. "Hurry Diggle." Tommy implored.

"Dammit, I am!" John barked back almost as scared for Queen's life as he felt for his friends when he was in battle under fire.

The ER bay was brightly lit and almost cheerful as the sedan pulled up. Dig jumped from the interior of the car and shouted loudly, "HEY! We need some help here!"

Several orderlies came out in response to the booming call with a group of nurses. The gurney was wheeled up and Ollie's lifeless looking body was pulled from the car. Tommy and Diggle were pushed away by scrub wearing nurses who began their medical chatter while wheeling Oliver away into the hospital. The two men looked on and then at each other, suddenly realizing that they needed a cover story.

" Gentlemen? Can you come with me please?" a nurse wearing pink scrubs appeared with a tablet in her hand. They followed her into the building and sat down opposite her at the admitting desk. "That is Oliver Queen, correct?" she asked and both men nodded, " Can you tell me what happened?"

Dig opened his mouth first then closed it and looked at Tommy. Tommy gave him a reassuring look and replied, " Oliver and I ate some pretty nasty sushi for lunch. But I do remember him complaining of aches and pains last night, like the flu. He's such a workaholic with his new club, I think he didn't let himself rest."

The middle-aged nurse gave Tommy a dubious look at the 'workaholic' description, but typed it all down on the tablet. " Ok. If you will have a seat over there- ", she gestured to the waiting area of Starling City's sickest- " we will let you know when something changes." Tommy gave her a small thank you and nod while standing. Dig stood too but looked towards the heavy double doors that separated the sick from the healthy. He hoped it wasn't the living from the dead.


	3. Chapter 3

" Mrs. Queen, there has been an… incident, with Oliver." Diggs voice was not as strong as it should have been.

Moira was on the other line and he heard her inhale sharply, " What do you mean, Mr. Diggle?!"

" Oliver is here at the hospital and is very ill. We brought him here from Verdant." Dig replied trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice.

" I'll be right there!" Moira said quickly and hung up. John looked at Tommy and saw he was calling Laurel. The expression on his face was verging on tears. His conversation was short and after he hung up he ran his hands over his face.

Dig looked down at his cellphone and flipped through to Felicity's number. If anyone who could help them, it'd be her. He got her voice mail, " Felicity? It's John. Oliver's in the hospital. Please come."

Time crawled. The waiting room was crowded with triaged patients and Dig was getting tired. He sipped weak coffee from the vending machines down the hall, while Tommy preferred diet Coke. Periodically nurses would call names and take patients back to be seen. " Tommy Merlyn?" a doctor called. Tommy shot up like missile, wringing his hands. When he realized his fidgeting, he stuffed them into his pockets. "Mr. Merlyn, we have a few other questions for you about what happened." she continued.

" Sure. Whatever you need." Tommy replied, his voice cracking.

" Mr. Queen has a rather nasty bump on his head. How did get that injury?" the older ER doctor queried.

Tommy's mouth opened then shut. He looked at Dig who was held his gaze steadily and gave him the smallest of nods, " Well, when Ollie was not feeling well, he went to lay down on a lounge couch. He fainted I think because he fell before I could help him. He hit is head on the arm of the couch."

" I see. Were you or Mr. Queen doing any drugs?" the doctor pressed.

Tommy stood up straighter at the accusation poised as a question, " Absolutely not! How da-!"

" What I think Mr. Merlyn is saying, ", Dig gracefully cut Tommy off, " Is that while they have had their share of fun in their life, they are both now clean and sober all the time."

The doctor was slightly surprised by John's interjection and gave a sidelong look at the young former billionaire. " I see. We'll be updating you soon."

" Wait!", it was Felicity's voice as she burst through the ER doors like a blonde tornado. She was not the neatly pressed IT girl, but looked more like she had just come from the gym in yoga pants and a t shirt. A warm up jacket was carelessly wrapped around her waist and her cell phone was clutched in her hand. She scanned the ER waiting room in a panic and when she saw Diggle the practically ran to his side. " How is he?" she gasped.

The doctor summed up the trio; bodyguard, best friend and girlfriend perhaps? " He is stable but not out of the woods. We are running tests to see what is wrong exactly with him. It is… complicated."

" Thank you." Felicity replied as she still caught her breath. The doctor disappeared through the double doors separating the waiting room from treatment areas.

Tommy moved towards his seat again and sat down in a shell-shocked way. The thoughts of how he had been so mad at Oliver for hiding so much from him since his return sat in his stomach like a stone. Now it may be too late to make amends and that thought was crushing him. Dig filled in Felicity about what had occurred at the chemical plant and whom they were up against in hushed tones. When he told her about Poison Ivy, her eyes narrowed aggressively. " We need to know why those herbs didn't work."

"I'm about to find out." John replied glancing at Tommy, who was looking beyond hope. " You and Tommy stay here and wait for Mrs. Queen."

" How? They won't let bodyguards in there. You're not family. Well, you are but you're not, but…" she began to run off on a tangent.

" I'll get in. You'll see." Dig said interrupting her spasm of speech.

Diggle always surprised himself at his uncanny ability to talk his way past hospital personnel. He did it when he rescued Oliver from the Archer getting into his room before Oliver's own mother was allowed in. HIPPA be damned, he needed to check on Queen before anyone else did. It was a form of guilt, he figured, or big brother-ness that somehow he could have protected the kid from Dr. Isley.

Oliver was resting, although it was hard to tell if it was comfortably. His skin had the pallor of the sheets he rested on and his eyes were fluttering under his lids as if in a bad dream. John approached quietly as the monitors above him displayed his vital signs. Dig was no medic, but he knew some of those numbers were off the charts and not normal. Bumping a chair accidentally with his leg, it made a scuffing sound. Oliver shot up half way at the ready before a groan escaped him and he fell back into bed. Dig froze not sure if he just damaged Oliver further. Queen turned his head slightly to face John and said in a barely there voice, " Hey, Dig."

" Hey, man." John said looking at the younger man. He approached and stood at the side of the bed. Oliver had an IV in one arm and wires sprouting from under his hospital gown.

Oliver's eyes were barely open and he asked, " Did you call Mom?"

" Yeah, Oliver. I called everyone. They're here." John replied with a calm he didn't feel. He saw men who looked like Ollie in war and they always ended up dead, " Do have any idea what she got you with?"

Queen closed his eyes and inhaled a long, painful sounding breath, " No. I was in the back lot. Arrow-cam."

Just then Moira burst into the room with Thea close behind, " Oliver!" She flew to his side and smoothed his hair back looking at her ill son. " Look at me, son." she implored.

Oliver cut his eyes open just a crack, " Hi, Mom." he whispered. Moira held in a sob and Thea held his hand.

Dr. Lamb breezed in shortly after her, holding a tablet in his hands. All eyes were on him suddenly with the same question: how is Oliver? Clearing his throat he began, " We have not been able to determine exactly what has happened to Oliver. He has no pathogens and his white cell count is not elevated. But his red cell count is dangerously low. He is showing damage to his kidneys and other organs. The bump on his head is really of minor concern to us, although it did produce a mild concussion." he paused in case someone had questions, " We will be starting blood transfusions shortly to help, but we're still evaluating."

Moira had been listening raptly. Thea was staring at her brother, who was watching the doctor. He squeezed her hand slightly. " Friends… can I see them?" Oliver asked in a bare whisper.

" Oliver, you really should rest." Lamb replied.

" Please?" Queen asked again, his exhausted voice plaintive. He knew the only thing that was going to save his life was to let his friends start working on a cure.

" Dear, listen to the doctor and get some rest." Moira pressed but Oliver put on his best physical acting he could for his condition.

Without uttering a word Moira shook her head in submission to his request, and looked at Dr. Lamb, " Just a few moments."

" I think less than fifteen won't hurt." Dr. Lamb acquiesced. Oliver smiled weakly and closed his eyes. Dig knew this wasn't going to be a fun reunion and they had the clock against them.

Moira kissed Oliver's forehead and smoothed his cheek. Thea held his hand for a few more moments and then put a peck on his cheek as well. Oliver opened his eyes for her and gave a wink. Tears brimmed at her eyes. Dr. Lamb escorted them out of the room except for John.

It took only a few moments before Tommy and Felicity entered in an obvious hurry. " Ollie!" Tommy exclaimed coming to his bedside and putting a hand on his shoulder. Tommy noticed how cold Oliver felt. Felicity said nothing but seemed to shrink in size. She recalled last time she was at Queen's bedside and Dig was shocking his heart back to life.

" Not much time." Oliver reminded them and the irony of his statement was not lost on any of them.

" Ok people, start thinking. Herbs didn't work. Why? Second, it's attacking his blood. Why? Oliver said he has an arrow-cam at the chemical factory. "John lead them in a CSI-like analysis.

" I can tap in and get his lab work from the hospital computers back at Verdant. I can analyze the herbs to look for active compounds. We an look at video to see if I can identify what is in the vats, and if not we can get samples from the source, but that would be breaking and entering and I'm not sure if that's legal because—", Felicity began to ramble.

" Felicity, to save a life sometimes you need to do illegal things." John cut her off.

" It's not breaking and entering if I ask for a tour." Tommy volunteered.

" And why would you?" Felicity asked trying to keep her eyes off the weak Oliver who appeared to be sleeping but she was sure he was not.

" Well, I _used_ to be a billionaire. I'm sure I can think of some reason to check this place out." Tommy said slightly indignant.

" Ok, we have plan." John concluded and then turned to Ollie. " You're going to be ok."

Oliver opened his eyes somewhat again, his breathing coming quicker than before, " I… know I can.. count on you." Then he went into a seizure.


	4. Chapter 4

The seizure started innocently as Oliver's eyes rolled up into his head and his back arched into the mattress. Dig saw Felicity recoil in fear and Tommy back away as the tremors began to shake Queen's body. His muscles looked like they would break him into pieces and an alarm began to sound.

Footsteps thundered down the hallway as the nursing staff raced to his aide. Dig gathered the two others aside and out the door before the could be told to leave, while medical terms about soaring heart rates and reduced respirations and oxygen saturations. In the hallway Tommy looking visibly upset said, " That is nothing like 'House'".

The other two looked at him sympathetically and tears were welling in Felicity's eyes. Dig pulled her close for a hug and she buried her face in his coat and quietly wept. Unexpectedly, down the hall they could hear Dr. Lamb and Moira arguing in a small consultation room. Raising his fingers to his lips at Tommy, and Felicity, who was drying her tears, so they could listen.

" – Mrs. Queen, there are no treatments we can find." Dr. Lamb protested in his serenely calm voice.

" That is my SON and you will do everything in your power to make him well. So help me or I'll make sure you and this hospital will never practice medicine again!" the enraged voice of the Queen matriarch declared.

" But Mrs. Queen, we only have a few days! Whatever is in him is going to kill him in less than a week. And we don't know what it is!" Lamb countered the color in his voice rising. Felicity's hand flew to her mouth to keep herself quiet. A week or Oliver will be dead.

Diggle looked at the others and gave a sharp nod to follow him the other direction away from that room. They eagerly complied and left Oliver to the care of the physicians. Outside the hospital, the trio realized how late it was and exhaustion was clearly showing. Again, John took charge, " Let's grab some sleep. Yes- sleep." Tommy and Felicity had begun to express outrage; " We are no good to him like zombies. We work best well rested even if that will be hard to do." He paused for effect, " Let's meet back at Verdant at 0500."

" What?" Tommy asked.

" Five am." Felicity replied and Dig raised an eyebrow, " Dad was in the Marines. For years. In special ops or something I'm not supposed to know."

Dig could see that Felicity had done some digging in her father's past and that brought a smile to his lips at her curiosity and cleverness, "Five am sharp. We don't have much time." They all departed to their respective cars and home for maybe four hours of sleep, if they were lucky.

Felicity drove home as quickly as she dared; she was no scofflaw even if her whole world was being turned upside down… again. Unlocking her apartment she made a beeline for her shower and bed. She often thought of solutions in her sleep as if the computer part of her brain never shut down but constantly ran in the background. Undressing and passing from her bedroom to her bathroom, she saw a picture on her nightstand. It was the night of the Dodger case. Diggle had taken a picture of Oliver and her during the auction. She recalled protesting the photo; something like she didn't like pictures or they didn't like her. In the end Oliver grabbed her around the waist and held her close putting on his best charm smile. Felicity had just enough time to say 'cheese' as the camera snapped. Now she looked at this nearly perfect photo of a night, which also had it's ups and downs but ended well. She traced Oliver's outline with her index finger marveling how healthy he looked compared to tonight. Setting the photo down, she went on with her shower and to bed.

Tommy really wanted to get drunk to push away what he had just witnessed. His best friend was dying… again. The five years that Oliver was gone consumed his soul in a nuclear fireball and Tommy wasn't sure if he'd ever come back from that. The façade of himself—the welcome back party, the set up dates for Oliver, the cavalier attitude; that was just a show because he really didn't know how to behave or be once the King had returned. Tommy was happy to be wingman for Oliver because he knew deep down that Oliver was always the one thing he could count on when his own life let him down. He was there when his dad practically abandoned him, he was there every time he had his heart broken; he _really_ was Oliver's brother. And he died only to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. And now, that fire was going to be extinguished again, perhaps.

Tommy rolled the scotch in the crystal tumbler in his hand watching the amber liquid catch the light from the facets. What was he going to do now? Lay down and die too? Or was he going to fight for his friend's life and take control of his own?

Putting down the unfinished drink he went to bed. There was battle to be done tomorrow.

Sweat poured down Diggle's face and body and his breath came in ragged gasps. The two bamboo batons were slack in his hands. He just finished a circuit of moves that he always messed up and Oliver thwacked him each time. Tonight he executed it perfectly and Oliver wasn't here to appreciate it. Faces of men he fought with flooded forward in his mind like ghosts from the past. He tried to push them away but tonight brought on the heartache like this was fresh combat. His brother's face was the last to appear and that brought John to his knees. Laying the batons down, it was Diggle's turn to cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Laurel couldn't sleep and she lay in the darkness staring at the ceiling. Tommy's call earlier in the evening had upset her, but was it him trying some trick to get back in her good graces? After she had confronted him about why his wrist was injured and he replied he couldn't tell her, it felt like Oliver all over again—the lies, the deceit. It took all her strength to keep that door on her heart open instead of slamming it in his face.

She replayed the conversation in her head. " Laurel? It's Tommy. Something's happened to Oliver."

"Oh what? Or did it happen to you and you can't tell me?" she retorted angrily.

" No really. He's very sick. He might die!" Tommy almost sobbed into the phone.

_Crying_, _that was a new one to her_, she had thought. " Well, he lived for five years in peril before. We can talk in the morning." And with that, she hung up.

What if this was real? What if Oliver really was sick and she was just being a bitch to spite Tommy? What if? Her mind spun but it was too late to call anyone to verify lest they get ideas something was up. It would have to wait till morning, but to be safe she said a prayer to anyone who was listening to take care of Oliver, just in case.

Morning was not a friend to anyone today. Tommy and Felicity convened at Verdant at the back entrance. Diggle was waiting for them and quickly admitted them as not to direct any attention to themselves. It was Thursday and liquor delivery day, which was always a busy time prepping for the weekend.

Felicity had brought two gallons of coffee from Brews for You and a bag of bagels. John was grateful for that small act of kindness because he had woken on the floor of the sparring ring where he had collapsed the night before from exhaustion. Tommy wore a fierce look on his face like he had seen the devil himself and was ready to battle for his immortal soul. " Tommy, have you talked to Laurel?" Dig asked quietly recalling she had not come to the hospital last night.

Tommy looked to him with a hard expression; Dig had heard they were a bit on the outs lately, " No.. she -" he stopped and adjusted his tone, " She wants me to call her this morning." Dig nodded acknowledgement.

" I have a question for you Diggle." Felicity said swiveling in her chair at the computer desk. Dig recognized her with a look, chewing a bagel, " These herbs that Oliver uses, what are they exactly?"

Swallowing, he replied, " I haven't the slightest idea. We should get them analyzed."

" Yes. But I also want to know what he used them for?" she returned.

" Anything and everything. They work as an antibiotic and as an antidote, except now. Maybe they are expired?" John pondered.

" What other toxins has he been exposed to?" she pressed.

"Curare—from, " John paused and said the name with venom, " Deadshot. He used them on me too. They worked obviously."

" Curare is organic. Antibiotic properties; those are organic. Hmm… " Felicity wandered off on a tangent but only to herself slowly swiveling herself back around, sinking into deep thought.

Tommy was leaning against a workbench also sipping coffee," We need to get inside Hedera Chemicals." And as if someone was answering his statement, his cell phone rang. Looking at the screen, the caller ID said it was his father, which was bit odd considering the hour of the morning "It's my dad." he said softly and answered the phone as John watched. " Hello?"

" Tommy, it's Dad. Did I wake you?" the elder Merlyn asked.

" No. Not at all." Tommy stammered slightly. After his recent semi-reconciliation with his father after Deadshot tried to assassinate him, Tommy wasn't really sure how to talk to his dad.

" Good. I wasn't sure how much sleep you would have gotten. I heard about Oliver. Is he going to be ok?" there was genuine concern in Malcolm's tone.

" Yeah, we don't know. They were running tests still last night." Tommy replied not sure if he should open up to his father more yet.

" Well, I don't want to distract you from that, but I have a favor to ask of you." Malcolm responded.

Tommy paused, and replied cautiously, " Sure, what do you need?"

" I need you to go to Hedera Chemical for me. I have some documents that need to be retrieved and brought to the office. Could you do that for me? Dr. Isley is who you need to see." Malcolm replied. Since the assassination attempt, Merlyn had reduced his workload slightly while he recovered.

" Uh, sure. What time should I go over?" Tommy replied.

" She will be expecting you about nine. After you get the documents, come over to my office. Thanks. " Merlyn stated.

" All right. See you then. Bye." Tommy hung up and turned to John, " Dad just _asked_ me to go to Hedera!"

" Talk about serendipity." John chuckled and looked at Felicity taping away at her keyboard. " Felicity, have you called into work for today?" Felicity said nothing at first. " Felicity?" John said again.

" Uh? Oh days off… well I don't really take days off, but I guess I need to…" Felicity blinked from the computer screen and then stopped, " Oh. Well, um, no. I should do that."

" It seems our needs will be met this morning. I will go check on Oliver." John stated.

" I'll call Laurel and see when she will be… visiting." Tommy said hanging on that last word like he didn't want to remember why they were working on this project.

Felicity remained quiet and focused on the task at hand.

Outside, Tommy called Laurel again. It was about seven thirty in the morning and he figured she'd be up for work. " Hello?" was her sleepy voice.

" It's Tommy." he paused to see what her reaction was. When there were no angry words from her, he continued, " Are you going to see Oliver?"

" Yes. Were you going to meet me there?" she replied almost pleasantly.

" I can't. Dad has a chore for me to do." he replied and wondered what was going to return on the phone.

" I see." her short reply was not angry but not warm either, " What room is he in?"

" He was in ICU last night. I'm not sure if they've moved him to the private suite." Tommy said and realized then he didn't get any updates on Oliver's condition over night. _But then if Mrs. Queen hadn't called him, or Thea, things should still be the same_, he rationalized.

" Fine. I'll check into that. Thanks." she concluded.

" Bye." was all Tommy could get in before the click.


	6. Chapter 6

Laurel was worried now because of two things. One, Oliver was definitely ill. She had gotten word through the work grapevine that Starling City's number one bachelor was not well and two, Tommy was being weird. _Well, maybe not weird_, she thought to herself. _I haven't exactly been an angel, so what can I expect?_ Calling work, she let her morning dockets know that she would be running late. It was a good thing that there were no early court sessions today so that her morning could be free.

As she drove to the hospital, a wash of emotions came over her. Was she going to be hurt seeing Oliver? She recalled asking to see his scars and how horrible they were and her imagination going wild about who or what did those things to him. They had kissed then and floods of emotion came over her like a tsunami. Looking back on that night, she was sure she did the right thing by leaving. Question was, could she face those feelings again?

She found a parking spot at the hospital and walked into the reception area. " Hello. I'm looking for Oliver Queen, please." she said to the nurse at the counter.

The nurse looked up from her computer screen and gave Laurel a once over, " Are you family?"

" Well, if you count growing up with him, going to school with him and almost being engaged to him as 'family' then yes, I am." Laurel said standing up straighter at the intrusion.

" I'm sorry but only family are allowed right now." the snotty nurse countered.

" I'll be right back." Laurel turned and pulled out her phone. She dialed her best friend at the office, " Hey dearie, I need a favor…"

The phone rang at the desk of the nurse giving Laurel a hard time. " Hello?" the woman said. Laurel watched her face of the nurse go through several expressions before settling on defeat. With an angry look, she hung up the phone and then informed Laurel of which room Oliver was staying in.

" Thank you for your superb customer service!" Laurel said mockingly but with a smile as she moved towards the elevator. The nurse returned a sour look in turn. Laurel owed her best friend a margarita for that.

The number made a soft bell sound as it reached Oliver's' floor. The doors parted and the cool wash of hospital disinfectant enveloped her. The ICU was top notch and almost brand new, thanks to Mr. Merlyn in some philanthropic effort. She walked a short hallway past some consultation rooms to the main ICU floor. Each patient had his or her own sliding glass door room like Snow White glass coffins. Most had curtains drawn so you could not see the persons inside but she knew where Oliver was because John stood watch outside the room.

" Mr. Diggle, good morning." Laurel greeted him and he gave her a polite nod, " Is he sleeping?"

" He comes in and out." John commented carefully not telling her that he looked worse today than yesterday.

Laurel gave him a shaky, uncertain look and slid the door aside to see for herself. The room was lit softly by some track lighting in the ceiling recess making the room almost cozy. Oliver's bed was to her left while the bank of instrumentation was to the right. Numbers and lines flashed and flickered across black screens as she slid the door closed.

Oliver was not laying still; he twitched and moved as if reliving a dream in his sleep. His breathing was rapid and shallow. A pint of blood hung from a pole down an IV into his left arm. She saw his chest scars as pale, horrible marks across his skin. He was almost as pale as the scars and his cheeks were hollowed out as if some force was sucking his life energy away. Dark circles were below his eyes in an almost skeletal way, which sent chills down Laurel's spine.

She approached quietly and stood at his bedside for a few moments, watching him dream. It felt strange to her to feel a no particular feelings except extreme worry. As if he knew she was there, he quieted his dream and then turned his head towards her. His eyes cracked open and Laurels' breath caught in her throat because despite his illness, they were still that stunning sharp blue she loved. " If I knew you were coming…. I would have gotten… dressed." his voice was a whisper of its' former strength between quick breaths.

" I guess ' how are you feeling' is a pointless question?" Laurel said taking his hand and was shocked at how cold he was.

" You could say that." he said very softly. Laurel could see the effort it was taking for him to speak. She felt suddenly guilty for taxing him. She sat quietly for a while and just held his hand. His gaze never waivered from her despite being so weak. " They.. don't know what is… wrong with me." he volunteered.

Laurel was sure she looked frightened because he smiled a small version of that charming, reassuring smile that he'd use when they were dating. " I am confident you'll be just fine, Ollie. They have the worlds best doctors here for you." she said but was convinced she said it only to calm herself. He said nothing in reply and she had the distinct feeling that he was not telling her something.

" Work?" he inquired and his eyelids were drooping.

" Can wait." she finished and then said, " Let me sit here with you, if it makes you feel better."

" It does." he replied gently and closed his eyes in sleep. His breathing was rapid again and the blood dripped slowly into him from the IV like it was going into a black hole and not helping him at all. Laurel felt very scared and alone at his bedside like he was not going to get a second chance to return from this island.

Dr. Lamb entered the sliding glass door and startled Laurel making her jump. " I am sorry, Ms. Lance." he apologized holding his tablet chart computer.

"No, it's ok. I was just leaving." she replied and stood; her hand slipping from Oliver's who did not stir. Dr. Lamb was looking at her and when she almost reached the door, she turned suddenly, " Dr. Lamb, I was wondering. Will, uh, I wanted to know if…"

Dr. Lamb knew where she was going with it and looked sadly at her, " We need to investigate more, but we're running out of time." Laurel's hand flew to her lips involuntarily and she inhaled sharply.

" Thank… you." her voice shook as she felt tears springing forward. She quickly pushed the glass door aside and exited before she lost control of her fragile state.

Dig saw her walk away quickly and he knew she had gotten some bad information. He knew what the odds were against Oliver because he had overheard the conversations between Moira and Dr. Lamb. He prayed that Tommy and Felicity were working their tails off because Oliver was going to need a miracle.


	7. Chapter 7

Tommy had his chauffer drive him to the corporate headquarters of Hedera Chemicals. Apparently the papers his father needed were there and not where Tommy wanted to be to collect some samples of whatever could have gotten into Oliver. Trying to suppress his frustration at this, he attempted to watch the scenery go by on the way.

Hedera was in a large office complex not downtown, like most of Starling City's Fortune 500 companies. It was a sprawling modern building set into a rolling hillside. A large pond framed the drive up to the building with swans and verdant grass. Trees were artistically placed around the grounds to make the place more appealing. They were not your average trees either. Dr. Isley was renowned for her ability to grow amazing specimens of plants from all parts of the world, no matter how specialized or unusual.

She had obviously applied her trade here with rare trees, even some tropical species she had genetically engineered to withstand the colder, temperate climate here. Vines were growing on lattices close to the building, Tommy noticed; as they got closer giving it a decidedly organic feel. As they reached the final end of the drive, he noticed that it even had a living roof off forbes, grasses and shrubs. _Very eco_, he thought to himself as the car stopped.

Tommy asked his chauffer to park and wait for him and then he turned to the winding, shallow staircase to enter the building. Dark tinted sliding glass doors soundlessly opened as he approached revealing an expansive lobby drenched in light from the glass ceiling. The floor was teak wood and the walls a riotous mural of greens in an abstract leaf pattern throughout the entire space. A reception desk of driftwood was artfully arranged and topped with a huge slab of malachite, which was striped heavily striped in greens. The second floor balcony opened up to the atria and tendrils of ivy grew from window boxes. They hung down like a living curtain of green. Tommy could not get over the smell of earth and plant material here and decided it was defiantly not like the chemical company he envisioned.

The receptionist was a tall, slender blonde in a Mao collared coatdress of cream and her hair pulled neatly up into a tight bun at the back of her head. " Mr. Merlyn?" she asked.

Tommy cleared his throat, " Yes, that is me."

" Dr. Isley is expecting you. Please follow me." the pleasant woman said and led him to an elevator. Tommy noticed the conspicuous lack of other employees.

A short ride up the glass elevator revealed more plantings and more green. Periodically, a bright red flowering shrub would appear or some red flowering vine for contrast. They walked down a hallway that ringed the oval atrium to the end of the ellipse. A set of heavy looking ironwood doors stood firmly closed. The woman waved her hand in front of the door and waited. With audible click, they opened and they waited for them to fully open before stepping into the office suite. " Dr. Isley, Mr. Merlyn is here to see you."

Tommy could see the top of a woman's head just barely above a black leather chair. The hair was a riotous red, shining like fire. She was facing away from them gazing out a monstrous full wall window upon the property behind the office building. A series of green houses stretched away from the main building like rays of glass from a central sun in a child's drawing. Slowly, languorously, the chair rotated, " Malcolm!" a silky woman's voice said as she turned.

Tommy wasn't sure what to expect, but he could see that she was clearly not expecting him. " I'm Thomas Merlyn. Malcolm's son."

The stunning woman flicked an eyelash at her assistant, who discretely left. Tommy felt the doors close behind them. He was now grateful that his father sent him just to admire this woman. Though his heart belonged to Laurel, this older woman cut an incredible appearance. Her radiant hair was like living flames licking her face and shoulders. Eyes like emeralds were glowing within an incredibly symmetrical face and an amazing body that looked unenhanced. Her lips were painted a sharp red and her pantsuit was a deep jade, plunging and hugging in all the right places. Tommy had a hard time keeping his mouth closed. Lucky for him, beautiful women were in his near daily experience, but Dr. Isley took the cake.

" Ah yes. Tommy. Your father speaks highly of you." Dr. Isely replied, sounding slightly bored. Tommy noticed he wanted to blush.

" Thank you. Dad said you had some papers for me to bring to him." Tommy replied feeling the temperature rise under his collar.

" I do. But you know before we take care of business, I'd like to ask if you know why your father and I are talking business?" Isley replied in almost a purr.

Darkly, he wondered about his father's plans but he shoved that thought aside," Actually I'm not aware, Dr. Isley."

" Pamela, please. We're working practically on the same team!" she laughed a light, delicate laugh and stood from the chair. Tommy noticed she was slightly taller than him and it wasn't all heels. " Please, let's take a walk."

" Alright. So you mentioned we're on the same team? How so?" Tommy mentioned as she stepped around her expansive desk and came towards him. He could smell roses.

" Let's move this way." Pamela gestured to the doorway and out into the hall, " Your father and I have a lot of similar ideas for Starling City."

" Is that so? Such as?" Tommy countered putting on his best engaged expression.

" We both want to see it grow and prosper. " she put an emphasis on the word _grow_.

" Interesting. How did you name your company Hedera? That is a unique name." Tommy commented.

She looked at him with her gem-like eyes, " It's the genus for English Ivy. I do adore ivy." She smiled a sumptuous smile and Tommy felt his knees weaken.

Swallowing to regain his composure, Tommy commented " Appropriate. I've noticed you really have amazing landscaping."

She broke her gaze with him and swept the atrium with her arm, " This building is a prototype for what Starling City will see once we clear some land down town. It's almost completely self-sustaining from the roof to foundation. We recycle rainwater, collect produce from the gardens; it cools itself in the summer and heats in the winter almost free of any outside energy inputs. A true wonder."

" And my father is going to help you build these in the Glades?" Tommy inquired politely but his unease was starting to rise.

Ivy looked straight into his eyes like drills; Tommy's blood chilled, " Yes. The Glades. That is where you, the Merlyns come in."

She wrapped her fingers around the railing of the balcony overlooking the atria with maliciousness, " You're father is going to clear the Glades for me like a plow breaking earth for spring planting."

" Oh yes." Tommy replied playing along with this clandestine information that he had no idea was going on. Deep inside he was not really surprised with the levels of depravity his father was capable of. " I forgot he had told me that was the plan. I think it's brilliant!" he lied.

"I've been doing my part, you know." She looked at him seriously as if to validate she was not just taking advantage of the Merlyns, but that she was an active player in this scheme.

" And what is that? Dad didn't tell me." Tommy leaned in conspiratorially.

" Poison." she whispered to him almost seductively.

Tommy almost stood ramrod straight at that revelation but he held himself loose and casual even though every cell in his body was screaming to leave and tell Felicity and Dig. " Really? That sounds very complicated. Could you elaborate?"

A wicked smile worked its way over her pretty face like a branch that had broken from a tree and she said, " You know, your father never showed interest in my work. Let me show you, if you have the time."

" For you, Pamela, I have all the time in the world." Tommy put on the charm and followed her downstairs to the lab.


	8. Chapter 8

She didn't know what time it was. It could have been late day or early morning for all she cared. She was captivated by what was on the screen before her. _Computers don't lie_, she told herself as she stared, disbelieving. _People lie, but not machines_, she rambled on in her head_, but people program computers. Please don't let this be true!_ What frightened Felicity so much was the information she was uncovering about Hedera Chemicals and their products.

Hedera was involved in making the usual types of herbicides, the glycophosphates that interfered with the process of photosynthesis in certain broad-leaved weeds. They also made insecticides, such as organophosphates that impeded the nervous system of insects and other pests. Those didn't alarm her because they were regulated. It was when Felicity cracked into Hedera's Research and Development computer that her blood chilled. Chemical warfare compounds began to appear with research results on small vertebrates such as mice and rats. Then there were effects on rabbits at specific toxicities followed by larger non-typical research animals then livestock. What made Felicity stop dead in her tracks were the images and data for homeless people who had been exposed to the toxins they were producing, namely heavy metals.

Pushing away from the desk, she stood up and walked away quickly. Her stomach felt sick and her head pounded like a drum. She did not sign up for this. She did not need to see contorted pictures of dead bodies who did not deserve to be used as lab rats just because they were homeless and no one would be looking for them. Pacing back and forth she tried to wipe the images from her mind but they were seared just behind her eyes when she closed them. And worst thing was they looked a lot like Oliver.

Inhaling a shaky breath, she exhaled trying to calm her racing heart. She needed to do this for Oliver… and for Starling City. She began to compile a list of the heavy metals and compounds Hedera was producing and when they had been used. Suddenly, a dialogue window popped up on the screen. Hedera's IT hackers had found her trespassing and were about to pounce like a pack of wolves. Felicity typed commands as fast as she could as if she was casting spells in a Harry Potter wizard duel. She began to breathe fast as if she was running a marathon and sweat prickled her hairline; she had to export this data!

With a few final keystrokes she covered up her electronic tracks and sent the Hedera IT team on a false trail. Quickly logging off, she pulled the flash drive out of the USB port like lightening as if a tentacle would shoot out and physically grab her wrist. Sitting back in the chair, because she had been hovering on the edge of it, she noticed her hands were shaking and all her reserves were gone. With a trembling hand, she pushed her glasses back up her nose.

Her phone rang, sending her shooting out of her seat. It was John. " Hello?" her voice quavered involuntarily.

" Felicity! Have you found anything?" Dig sounded very anxious.

" Where to start… there were insecticides and herbicides and lots of nasty things, plus- " She rambled involuntarily.

" Felicity!" John snapped, " What about Oliver?!"

" Uh, oh… Well they are making poisons at Hedera. There are so many! I have to cross-reference the chemicals with his symptoms. It's going to take more time. Why are you asking? Is he ok?" Felicity replied rapidly with a long exhalation of all the tension in her body.

" Things are not good here, Felicity." Diggle replied with deep emotion, " The doctor just said his kidneys are failing and his heart is giving out because of excess fluid. Congestive heart failure."

Felicity felt a weight crashing upon her and crushing her into a speck. Her mouth was dry but she felt her game face coming on. This was not the time to have a meltdown, " I… I'm on it. Any word from Tommy?"

" No. But Felicity, please hurry." John said somberly, and Felicity could see his face and the pained expression that went with his tone.

Tommy spent the better part of the day with Pamela Isley in her luxurious green growing office. She personally escorted him through the labs to show him all her amazing botanical projects she was working on. " And here, we have the secret to our success in Starling City and the Undertaking, which is just such a brilliant plan. Your father is_ so_ intelligent. " Pamela gushed with a sweeping gesture at a lab bench covered in amazingly complex glassware, all manners of things boiling, bubbling and condensing. Tommy thought he'd vomit as he heard this woman praising his father so indiscriminately but he choked it down. He was curious what this 'Undertaking' was.

Rows of small ampules of liquid sat in neat rows in the front of the apparatus each with a tiny label. Tommy gave the set up an appraising look shoving his hands in his pant pockets trying to look casual, secretly wishing he had paid more attention in chemistry class.

" And what is this grand devise?" he asked with the most sincere tone he could manage. He tried not to nervously look at his watch to see how much time had elapsed in this Alice in Wonderland place.

As Pamela opened her mouth to answer him, an employee in a similar Mao collared coatdress as the receptionist ran up to her in her heels. Isley closed her mouth and leaned to the side to hear the employee's message. Tommy saw Pamela's peacock eyes darken into a rage and a flush appear on her cheeks. In a flash the expression was gone, " Thomas, I am so sorry. But I'll have my attendant here get those papers for you and I must depart. Something has come up." she smiled warmly and graciously.

" Of course. I completely understand." Tommy said shifting his weight and taking his hands from his pockets. "Oh! What is that?" he said suddenly and directed his gaze across the lab area. Both women turned to see what he was looking at. Tommy reached out and grabbed a small vial of clear liquid. He shoved it in his pocket quickly. " Sorry. Play of the light." Both women smiled diplomatically at him and Tommy moved away with the employee.

Pamela Isley was on a hunt for someone hacking her network.

The young lady walked Tommy up to the office he had been in before and going to a cleverly hidden filing cabinet, produced a file of papers. She handed them to him without instruction and he gave her a polite thank you. " I can see myself out. Thank you again." The young lady said nothing but nodded. His skin crawled. There was something not quite right with this place.

Tommy practically ran out of the office building without being suspicious looking. His driver was waiting in the parking space and was taking a nap. He rapped sharply on the glass and the driver startled, "Sorry sir. Are we going to your fathers'?"

"Yes. But be quick!" Tommy said sharply and pulled out his cell phone. His stomach told him it was past noon but he was amazed to see it was closer to two pm. First he pulled out the small vial and read ' Arsine' in neat script. _What the hell was this stuff?_ He wondered to himself. Dialing Felicity he hoped she had information.

" Tommy?!" Felicity's voice had a hard edge to it.

" Yeah, I have something. Arsine. Ring a bell?" he said hesitantly hoping he did something good for a change.

" Yes. I… not enough time to fill you in. Get to the hospital now! Things are not good." she ordered him but softened on the last comment. Tommy's heart slowed. _Not good_, he echoed in his head.

" Hurry up!" Tommy barked at the driver and he felt the car accelerate.

John wanted to pace outside the room in the hospital. Thea had brought him a snack around lunch and a cute nurse had stood in his place while he went to the restroom, but otherwise he had stayed rooted to that spot outside that glass door.

The only problem was that the glass was not completely soundproof. He had heard Dr. Lamb calmly and sensitively inform Moira that her son was dying of organ failure and there was not much they could do for him except pump him up with morphine, continue the blood infusion and wait for the inevitable to come. Moira and Thea were inconsolable. Their cries still echoed in his ears as they sobbed, grieving the loss of someone they had just so recently found.

John gritted his teeth and felt his muscles flexing in a way that he had not felt since Afghanistan where he lost friends to combat. He wanted to punch something, run, do pull-ups, shoot his machine gun wildly; anything but stand still.

It was now verging on twilight as Starling City went home from work to their families for dinner and bed. Dig could see the streetlights flickering on and the last rays of sun setting beyond the window in a panoply of reds and oranges. It would have been a lovely night if a good friend of his was not lying behind him in bed dying.

He had called Felicity at least ten times since Oliver's condition had worsened but she did not pick up. Tommy was not to be raised either. John looked to the ceiling as if he could see Heaven and asked his brother to work a miracle. His brother worked one; as John turned towards the elevator bank he saw a flurry of blonde hair. "DIG! Get the doctor!" she almost yelled drawing hateful looks from the nurses.

John intercepted Felicity midstride grabbing her elbow and directing her away from the ICU unit. " John, where are you taking me?" Felicity protested.

" Where we can talk—privately. With Dr. Lamb." he replied aggressively, happy to be moving. " We don't have much time."

Dr. Lamb was paged and convened quickly in a consultation/grieving room off the elevator bank. Felicity set her ever-present tablet on the small table and they huddled around it while she did a quick explanation, " With some investigation and data trolling I think Oliver was poisoned with arsine. He displays all the symptoms of arsine poisoning. How did he get poisoned, I am not sure. " Felicity attempted her best lie, which was very difficult for the forthright woman, " But if you check his blood work you will see that it is present."

" But there are no cures for acute arsine poisoning." Dr. Lamb didn't seem to care where how the toxin had entered Oliver.

" Yes there is." Felicity looked at Diggle. His eyebrows went upwards precipitously.

" Me?" he said astounded. Dr. Lamb looked equally shocked.

" Yes. You were in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many soldiers were given a top-secret anti-chemical warfare regimen of shots. They told you they were vaccines. In fact, they were experimental drugs to ward off gas attacks of most of the common chemicals used for chemical warfare. " Felicity paused her blue eyes riveting the men's attention. " Your blood, John, still has the antibodies that will cure Oliver."

Dr. Lamb got up quickly and looked at both of them, " Mr. Diggle, you have no time. We need to get your antibodies!"

John barely had time to process what Felicity had said. He was the cure? The Army had injected him with serums they told him were vaccines and really was not? His head swam for a moment with these revelations. Standing numbly, he followed the doctor out who had begun ordering the nurses to get various pieces of equipment.

Felicity took this time, as a dumbfounded John was lead away for preparation, to see Oliver. She slid the glass door open and stepped in carefully. Moira and Thea had gone home to attend to some new issues that arose with Oliver's previous prognosis. Her breath caught in her throat to see Oliver looking the way he did.

His pallor was alarming and his body looked wasted. A morphine pump sat at the ready next to his bed and IV tubing flowed in and out of his arms. An oxygen cannula was fixed inside his nose and the tubes arched over his ears. His eyes were closed when she entered but they slowly opened to her surprise. "Oliver?" Felicity asked because his pupils were dilated by the morphine. She wasn't entirely sure he was sober enough to talk to.

"Felicity." he sighed softly. She had to lean in to hear him.

" We're going to make you better!" she declared sounding fake in her own ears because of her discomfort seeing him so ill.

" Really?" he replied narrowing his eyes, " Dr. Lamb… has… other ideas."

" Well your doctor is no match for my superior data searching skills and hacking. Oh and that I I'm pretty adept at getting into the Department of Defense's databases—", she stopped because she was babbling again and Oliver had closed his eyes. " Oliver?" she leaned in closer to him.

" I'm … listening." he whispered and looked at her, which startled her because she was only a foot away from his face. The clarity of his blue eyes caught her off guard. He was definitely sober.

Leaning back a fraction and then looking over her shoulder to make sure that she would not be over heard she began softly, " Tommy found arsine at Hedera Chemical. Poison Ivy injected you with some when you were snooping around. It causes kidney and liver damage, plus severe anemia. Diggle has been secretly vaccinated by the army during his time of service and his antibodies are going to save your life." she summarized quickly and Oliver took it all in silently. He closed his eyes and a look of pain washed over his face as he inhaled a shaky breath. Felicity found she was holding hers. " Oliver?" she said finally when it seems the wave of suffering had passed.

" Still alive." he tried smiling but it looked more like a grimace to hide the discomfort, " Herbs?"

" Oh there is the exciting discovery!" Felicity almost forgot that she was sitting at a deathbed, " Sorry." She pushed her glasses back up her nose and the corners of his mouth moved up some at her chagrin, " I ran a sample through our mass spec and did a quick analysis of the components. Your Asian herbs are not good against inorganic materials. So, if you ever get poisoned again by something not organic, that is without carbon, you'll need something else."

" Thanks .. for … chemistry lesson." he replied and Felicity noticed he looked like he had something else to say but was debating saying it. She waited a moment and found that he was still staring pointedly at her.

Felicity went out on an emotional limb and took his hand. It was very cold but he returned her grip, though not as strongly, " Oliver, I just wanted to say that I am glad you're going to get better, because I was really worried about you." she rambled on, " Well, not maybe not worried, but scared. But that's not right either and I am doing it again aren't I?"

" Give me… second chance?" his voice was barely audible but his gaze was an ocean of passion. She was speechless at his intensity.

" I- " Felicity was about to answer when Dr. Lamb and a small army of nurses slid the door wide open to admit a Diggle in a gurney bed, IV in one arm, and the other attached to some strange machine.

A disappointed looking Oliver slid his gaze to the less than dignified looking Diggle in a hospital gown. He knew if he had the strength he'd laugh out loud. " Knight … shining… armor."

Dr. Lamb instructed the nurses to their positions and he approached the machine that Diggle was hooked to. Withdrawing a syringe with a clear liquid he injected it into Oliver's IV line directly and then watched Oliver and his vital signs.

Felicity couldn't help her stomach turning, wondering if this is what Dr. Isley did to her 'patients' while she tested the poisons she was manufacturing. Oliver's color began to slowly improve and his vital signs began to edge up. Dr. Lamb afforded himself a small smile. " We will do this infusion every hour until we have cleared your system of all traces of arsine. Dr. Diggle here is your savior!"

John looked at Oliver and gave him a shrug; trying to preserve what dignity he had in a hospital gown. " I guess you owe me kid." Dig tried to sound tough.

Moira and Thea burst into the room, tears streaming down their faces as they came to Oliver's side. They embraced him gently. After a moment Moira stepped back from her son and turned to Dig and Felicity, " Thank you. I can't say that enough."

" Um, no problem." Felicity said quietly and excused herself. At the elevator she saw Tommy who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

" How is he?" he asked fervently. Felicity filled him in with the extra details she could not share with Dr. Lamb. Tommy exhaled loudly and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. " Good. Good. Here. You may want this for Ollie's 'collection' of evidence." He handed her the vial of arsine he stole from Hedera.

" Sure. I'll put that right up with all his other junk in the cave." she said sourly. " I'm going home."

" Ok. See you then. " Tommy replied and turned toward the now happy scene down the hall.

Felicity stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. She couldn't get Oliver's face out of her mind_. Second chance_, she mused and was slightly disturbed with herself, _everybody needs one in a while._


	9. Chapter 9

It was two in the morning and Oliver couldn't sleep. His body felt like he could get up and run; it was angry at him for making him lay here for almost three days. Revenge on Poison Ivy was also forefront in his mind. Shifting in bed, he felt joints pop and tendons stretch that had not done so in a while. Diggle was next to him, still having his blood slowly stripped of antibodies that were clearing the toxins out of Oliver's body.

" Oliver, stop fidgeting." Dig commented grumpily.

" Sorry. I'm not used to lying down so much. " Strength had returned to his voice. The doctor actually gave him a bit of food, liquid diet to Oliver's disappointment. He wanted to order chili cheese fries from the Diner but he couldn't get to a phone.

" Well, get used to it. Someday you'll be old like me and appreciate sleeping." John replied rolling over, " Can they make these damn beds any more uncomfortable?"

" What's that about appreciating sleep?" Oliver shot back.

"Ha, ha hot shot." Diggle retorted.

Oliver was also staring at the ceiling, several thoughts running through his head. Felicity had disappeared home after his antibody therapy and he missed her. Tommy had been there. Oliver had thanked him for his help but he could tell something wasn't right in Tommy's mind. His demeanor was one of someone who just opened a closet full of skeletons. Oliver decided it would be better to leave it alone for now given the tenuousness of their rekindled family relationship.

Laurel had also stopped by that evening, shortly after Tommy appeared. Tommy had texted her that Oliver was out of the woods and Oliver thanked her for making time to see him. " Anything… for an old friend. " she had said and her eyes were sad as she looked at him. Claiming she had dockets to read, she did not stay long.

Moira and Thea again thanked the medical staff, thanked Diggle in particular, which he waved off as just 'doing his duty' and retreated home with the promise of a visit the next day. Oliver was sad to see Thea leave just because he missed her energy and how she could make him laugh. His mother on the other hand, he wasn't so sure.

And that left Diggle and him to lay there in the dark together, like some strange sleep over. Oliver smiled to himself as he remembered him how he had wished Thea was a boy instead of a girl when he was a child. Initially he had been so bummed when his parents came home with a bundle of pink.

But it was Felicity who kept coming back in his mind. The way she held his hand; it was the first time she had reached out to touch him and it gave him hope. " Dig, you think Felicity will hang on after we find Walter?"

A tired sigh emanated from John, " Oliver. It's two in the morning."

" I know but I can't sleep." Oliver complained.

" I'm not sure." John answered simply but then added, " You're still into her, aren't you?"

Silence echoed between them as Oliver looked hard into the dark, his jaw muscles clenching slightly.

" Let me tell you something that I think you lost on that island." John continued, " Not everyone here has some ulterior motives. We are not all out here to get you. Felicity least of all. Will you loosen up some?"

"Can't. I can't. " Oliver growled.

" Well, boy, if you don't you're going to lose her." John replied easily, "You are so _intense_ that you're frightening."

" What do you mean by that?" Oliver said accusingly. John heard him turn to face him in the dark.

" I'm from the army. I'm a big man used to having orders barked at me, shouting and people being rude." John got serious, " But she is not. She almost lost you, Oliver. Near death experiences change people. They change they way people look at others. _Look at how it's changed you_."

John let his words hang in the air for a moment, " And now you want to pull her suddenly into the vigilante business and _maybe_ fall in love with you when the most violent thing she's ever done in her life is probably squish a spider. Get real, man."

Oliver heard and listened. He didn't like what he heard but it was true. How could he expect Felicity with all her beauty and intellectual strength to just fall in step with a damaged man like him? " What do you think I should do?" he said in his most diplomatic voice to hide his anger.

John yawned widely. " Just be yourself. G'night Oliver."

" Good night." Queen returned and thought to himself, still staring at the ceiling, _I don't know who he really is._


	10. Chapter 10

Brooding at the computer screen, Oliver kicked his feet up on the table. Sweat trickled down his back and face from his recent workout. Against doctors orders and his mother's protests, he checked himself out of the hospital, " Mr. Diggle is not my personal life support and he should get out of that horrible gown." Oliver stated calmly with a pleasant smile to his doctors and mother.

" Thank you, sir." Diggle said with mock sincerity. Shaking their heads as Oliver signed the release, he walked out a semi-healthy man.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs and he could tell by their cadence and type that it was Felicity. He felt that funny butterfly feeling again but pushed it down.

" You asked to see me? Well, not like that—like I'm you secretary or something, you know, because I'm not." Felicity said in a slightly annoyed tone, approaching the chair Oliver sat in. She was particularly aware that he was not wearing a shirt, but that novelty was starting to wear off. However, she was still a warm-blooded woman and she would not complain about the scenery.

Ollie turned in the chair, a smirk on his face from her declaratory statement, " I would never assume a lovely, intelligent lady like you was just my secretary." He noticed color on her cheeks and remembered Dig's words, ' just be yourself.' He noticed how bright her lipstick was against her skin.

" Well, why am I here?" she asked simply as he looked up at her, hands in his lap.

Oliver tilted his head slightly, " We have some work do to. I've noticed an uptick in Hedera moving 'product' out of the Glades recently. I think your hacking got them scared."

" More like angry. I barely made it out without being detected. What's that got to do with us?" Felicity returned wishing he'd put his shirt on so she could maintain focus. Those scars still unnerved her.

" I had an arrow-cam in the ceiling and it's been broadcasting to a private YouTube account. With our video and Tommy's sample I think we can run Miss Crabgrass out of town." Oliver responded confidently.

Felicity stepped back and leaned against a worktable, looking at him dubiously, " Do I hear mercy for Ivy? From you of all people?"

Oliver narrowed his eyes slightly and replied darkly, " You sound like Helena."

" Have you seen my files? Have you seen what she's **done** to people?" Felicity could hear the vicious tone in her voice, gesturing widely, " _You almost died_. " she concluded softly and looking at the floor, embarrassed to have shown so much emotion to him.

Oliver didn't have a counter argument at that moment but ached to hold her. A chirp from the alarm panel at the upper door distracted both of them; it was Tommy. He came trotting down the stairs, his collar loose and sport coat over his arm. " Did I interrupt something?" he seemed unusually chipper. Maybe he and Laurel made up.

" No." Oliver said quickly and barely glanced at a slightly disgruntled looking Felicity. She stood and straightened her cardigan primly. " We were discussing our next plan of action against Isley and Hedera." he continued.

" You know you can't just hand over that sample." Tommy shared, poking at a set of tools on a table.

" Why not?" Oliver asked quickly, thinking this was a quick case of open and closed.

" Well, Mr. Flunked out of Ivy League, I was the only person she's shown her lab to. Even Dad hasn't been in there. You think that she'd put two and two together." Tommy said sarcastically. " Are you thinking straight?" He gave Oliver a sidelong look.

Oliver turned away from him in the chair so he could not see the disappointment in his expression. He was right. That would blow everything wide open if they just magically produce a vial of poison and Tommy was the only one to have access to that lab. Queen began to think about how he could get a story to cover for Tommy, but he guessed that Pamela was already aware of her missing vial. "Tommy. Did you look at those papers you gave to your dad?" Oliver asked turning back around.

" No. I was too busy getting rid of them to get to you." Merlyn replied looking slightly disgusted bringing up his dad.

" I wonder what her plan was." Oliver mused out loud crossing his arms over his still bare chest.

" She called it the Undertaking." Tommy said absently, hanging his coat on a chair. Oliver sat up straight in his chair as if someone shocked him. "What's wrong?" Tommy asked.

" Oh, muscle cramp. Nothing." Oliver said quickly but Felicity knew he was lying. Tommy wasn't totally exclusive yet to their little trio of Diggle, Oliver and herself.

" Well, I wanted to check on you, since I was upstairs calculating this weekend's profit. And a hefty profit it was!" Tommy said grabbing his coat and returnning upstairs. They both watched him rise up the stairs and out the door.

" We can still upload the video to the state EPA and police." Oliver continued his thought looking at her.

" True, but do you think action would be taken just because they have a video of sludge?" Felicity commented dryly. Oliver looked at her strangely. When did she become so blood thirsty?

" So you want me to arrow her." Oliver stated flatly as he stood up, the killer look creeping into his eyes.

Felicity took a step closer to him but looking towards her toes because she didn't trust herself to look into his eyes. She could feel his body heat radiating and for a moment forgot her restraint, " She almost killed you."

Oliver smiled a self-sure smile. "Felicity, lots of people have tried to kill me in the past five years. I've defied the odds. " He hooked a finger under her chin, " And that will be a constant as long as you work with me." His expression was one of tenderness and vulnerability. _Just be yourself_, Diggle had said. _Well, here I am_, Oliver thought.

Felicity looked up at him and blue met blue. She couldn't sleep last night because she kept having a dream about a funeral and Oliver was the man in the casket. " Oliver, I… I think… too much." She broke eye contact and stepped away. Queen exhaled in frustration. " I will upload the video tonight and encrypt it. If you decide to go out… I don't want to know." she continued heading towards the stairs, ponytail swinging gently against her back. Oliver remained where he was, but now alone.

Moira and her family sat at the long table in the monstrous, opulent dining room. After her losing her first husband, she was uncomfortable with the large space but embraced it again after Oliver was found, despite the loss of Walter. The gentle sound of silverware on plates and the soft clinking of glasses were the only sounds in the room as Thea, Oliver and herself ate their evening meal. Moira had metaphorically twisted Oliver's arm to make him come to dinner instead of staying in that godforsaken hole of a club he had created. Looking down the table at him, she caught his eye. He gave a polite smile, wiping his lips and then sipping some wine.

She was proud that Oliver had found an outlet for his energy after coming back from the island, but she knew he spent too much time there to be healthy. He reminded her of his father; driven to success at whatever their undertaking was be it money, liquor or women. " Oliver, tell me if they ever found out where you were exposed to that horrible chemical?" she asked.

Oliver chewed his bite and swallowed, "No clue. But I'd guess that it was a byproduct of the renovation at Verdant." He was using his innocent lie mask, hoping his mother would not probe further.

" Well, I **do** hope you plan on having the air, water and soil tested around that place. It was a steel mill, Ollie. Not an organic garden." Moira gently admonished her son.

" I'll put it on my to-do list, mother." He replied easily and went back to his dinner glad she was dropping it.

" Maybe instead of Verdant you could call it Ver-dead." Thea joked and got a rude look from her mother.

" And this is coming from the girl who is _too young_ to get into _any other club_ in the whole city, hmm?" Oliver shot back at his sister.

" Enough you two. All these years and you still haven't grown up!" Moira said tensely.

" Sorry mom." They said simultaneously with mock humility.

" Owe me a Coke." Oliver said quickly.

"Hey, no fair!" Thea said, her mouth full of food.

Oliver chuckled at her and then looked at his mother. Her eyes glowed happiness and pride despite her slightly rude children. His heart warmed to see her happy for a brief moment and he knew his father would be equally happy.

His phone buzzed with a text message the next morning at some ungodly hour, which was about nine in the morning. _Why didn't I set the volume off?_ He cursed and rolled over to see who it was. Felicity had texted him " Hedera pulling out of Sterling City. TV."

Sitting up in bed he grabbed his remote for the flat screen across the room and flicked it on. The familiar face of the news anchor filled the screen and in his sonorous voice announced that Hedera Chemical and Dr. Pamela Isley were taking their business elsewhere. Shareholders were shocked at the revelation that Hedera was knowingly leaking chemicals into the water systems of Starling City in the Glades section. The image shifted to a picture of prosecutor Laurel Lance, who heading the case with extensive video evidence produced by the vigilante.

The video footage again shifted to a stunning redhead pushing her way to her limousine after her court appearance. She had no comment for the paparazzi frenzy as her rippling red hair bounced around her shoulders like an exotic vine against the lime green pantsuit she wore. Oliver flicked the TV off and turned his attention to his phone again. He texted back, " This one got away."

Felicity did not reply. Oliver felt the need to call Tommy to see if he was in hot water with his dad over this. " Tommy. You hear the news?" he asked his best friend.

" Yeah, just saw it." Tommy replied and Oliver could hear Laurel's voice in the background. He guessed they made up.

" Are you in trouble?" Oliver inquired carefully since you never knew who was listening.

" Nope. At least for now." Tommy responded in that tone that let Oliver know he understood what was meant, " We'll get together later."

"Absolutely." Oliver agreed and hung up.

He still flopped back into bed and stared at his phone. In a moment of brashness he texted her, " Meet me for breakfast sometime again?"

A long while passed to the point Oliver thought he might have texted the wrong number. Then a chime came in, " Maybe." It said.

_Maybe is all I need_, Oliver said and smiled at the ceiling.

FINE.


End file.
